Former Iowa Hawkeye and Detroit Lion 4 time probowler Alex Karras has kidney failure and days to live according to doctors and his family.
After football he turned to acting, starring as Mongo in Blazing Saddles & the dad on Webster.
My thoughts and prayers go out to him & his family in this difficult time.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/10/08/alex-karras.ap/index.html?sct=nfl_t2_a4
EDIT - He has passed away today 10/10/12. http://www.tmz.com/2012/10/10/alex-karras-dies-blazing-saddles-star-dead-at/
Very sad news indeed. Thoughts go out to his family during this time.
During his time at Iowa, He won the Outland Trophy in 1957 and played on the Hawkeyes' 1956 Rose Bowl team as well. He was All Big Ten twice and a consensus All-American.
He will always be best known as Mongo and the dad on "Webster" when it comes to his entertainment career, as the OP notes, but to highlight some of his other notable work, he was also Sheriff Wallace in the first Porky's film, as well as Squash Bernstein in "Victor, Victoria". He also had numerous guest appearances on shows like" M*A*S*H", "Arliss" and "The Odd Couple".
"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."
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